Dental Crowns and Onlays
Dental Crowns and Onlays are two forms of dental restoration options that are used to cover a large area of decay where a normal filling or inlay would not be possible.
Dental Crowns and Onlays are two forms of dental restoration options that are used to cover a large area of decay where a normal filling or inlay would not be possible.
Onlay
A porcelain onlay is similar to a full crown, they are both crafted by a lab technician and used to restore a tooth once there is too much tooth structure missing that a simple filling is not strong enough. A filling could be used as a temporary measure to fill these but will inevitably break down or fail. Whilst a crown fully covers the tooth surface an onlay is designed to only cover a portion of the tooth. This means that when preparing the tooth the dentist can preserve as much natural tooth structure as possible whilst preventing further cracks.
This treatment will require multiple appointments, firstly the tooth will be prepared and a temporary onlay will be in place. After our lab technician has created your onlay it will then be seamlessly bonded and cemented. Onlay’s can either be made to match your tooth’s natural colour using porcelain or they can also be made of gold.
Crown
A crown is crafted by a lab technician to perfectly fit your tooth after it has been prepared. They can be made out of many different materials such as gold, zirconia, emax (lithium disilicate) or a PFM (porcelain fused to metal). Depending on which tooth needs the crown, our dentists will advise you which material will look aesthetically pleasing but also be strong enough.
Crowns are perfect for restoring badly broken teeth where a large portion of the tooth is missing as well as heavily filled teeth. Other teeth that would benefit from a crown are endodontically treated teeth and teeth that have cracks. After root canal treatment has been completed the tooth can become weak and more prone to breaking. A crown completely encircles the remaining tooth ensuring that the tooth structure is protected. Cracked teeth are very hard to treat, a crown is usually recommended to prevent the crack from flexing any further reducing the symptoms.
The treatment for a crown is done over multiple appointments. Firstly, the dentist will need to trim a small portion of the tooth away and scan the prepped tooth for the lab technician to beautifully craft your new crown. The next appointment will be 2-3 weeks’ time, during this period you will have a temporary crown in place. Once we receive your new crown, we are then able to bond and cement the crown in place. Your crown is also able to be matched to your natural tooth colour helping it blend in and mimic the appearance of your natural teeth.